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Latino Support for Gay Marriage Outpaces General U.S. Population

Latinos are slightly more likely than the general public to support legalizing gay marriage, according to an April poll released by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the public opinion research compnay Social Science Research Solutions.

"The data shows much higher levels of support for gay marriage in the Latino community than assumed and often reported,” Lourdes Rodriguez-Nogués, president of Dignity USA said. Dignity USA is a Boston-based organization of gay and lesbian Catholics, reports the Huffington Post. “I think what we are seeing is an issue and a conversation that needs a little more light and air."

The poll shows that around 54 percent of Latinos indicated that they support same-sex marriage. A May Gallup poll found that 53 percent of the general population supports legalized gay marriage. One interesting takeaway? Many of those in the general population who support gay marriage also identify as liberals or Democrats -- but that's not true for Latino supporters. Nearly 40 percent of self-identified Latino Republicans support legalized same-sex marriage. Just 23 percent of Hispanic self-identified Democrats said the same.

Perhaps not surprisingly, those Latinos with lower "acculturation" scores -- which looks at factors such as Spanish language, when they or their families arrived in the United States, and other measures -- and those who indicated a deep support for abortion bans were less likely to support gay marriage and gay rights.

What do you think about these findings? Are you surprised? Share in the comments!